ROYAL OAK — Corewell Health Children’s pediatric programs have received $1.8 million in grants from Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

The grants will be used to enhance the pediatric programs at Corewell Health Children’s locations for the spring and summer seasons of 2025.

“Our relationship with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals is one of our most valued and impactful partnerships at Corewell Health Children’s,” Matthew Denenberg, M.D., chief, pediatrics, Corewell Health in Southeast Michigan, said in a press release.“Twice each year, our pediatric programs have the opportunity to be renewed and grow through CMNH grants. Specialized equipment and services are enhanced to better serve our youngest patients and their families — positively impacting the lives of more than 200,000 children annually.”

The grant money will be assisting more than 50 programs with special equipment that will enhance the abilities of doctors and nurses, including but not limited to: infant-specific equipment, special education for clinical staff and patient families, pet therapy, playroom supplies, patient family financial support, physical therapy tools, and more.

Tom McGannon, vice president of community engagement with Corewell Health Foundation Southeast Michigan, said that the grant will also be providing funding for two big initiatives that will bring joy to the patient’s lives.

The first program, Launch, focuses on young adults with special needs. The program helps them develop skills, gain experience in the workplace and more.

McGannon said the Launch program was pioneered at the Corewell Health Beaumont Gross Pointe Hospital, but now with the grant funding can be expanded to all eight hospitals in metro Detroit.

“The Launch program brings children who might have neuro differences, maybe kids who are on the autism spectrum, to our hospitals as volunteers to learn various career skills,” he said. “It helps them to both learn and connects them to gain full employment as well, too.”

Corewell Health has had a standing partnership with Audacy Media, and with help from the grant, McGannon said Audacy will be bringing some special experiences.

Through Audacy, pediatric patients will be able to meet and learn from experts in the media field and will be tutored by national music artists. The goal is to teach lifelong skills in music, instrumentation, recording and broadcasting.

“Audacy media has been a really strong partner with us for more than a decade. … They have fallen in love with our kids, and the offer that they have presented to us is, ‘We want to help these kids look forward to their futures,’ and so they connected with our Child Life Program, which is funded by Children’s Medical Network,” he said. “This is a program that helps kids feel like kids when they are in the hospital, when they are going through different medical procedures. The beauty of the Audacy partnership is it’s going to focus these kids forward.”

The Audacy program will give the children hands-on opportunities.

“They will give them experience learning to play the guitar, learning to sing, and they will get that confidence from people who are not only in the business, but are celebrities who do this,” McGannon said.

McGannon wants to thank the community for these opportunities, given the funding comes from the dollar donations given at the end of checkout at various locations around southeast Michigan.

“The Royal Oak community is very generous to those retailers like Costco and Walmart, and they are contributing those dollars that they are asked for at the register,” he said. “It’s funded by the community, and it helps our patients. It’s a really nice circle of community resources helping kids locally.”

For more information on Corewell Health, visit corewellhealth.org.